“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
What a fabulous second week back at school we had! Grade 4B kick-started things off with Chinese Nature Myths, the High School is working on stone sculptures for an upcoming art show, while the Middle School is creating tile mosaics and the Early Years had a lovely Balinese blessing ceremony. Above, you’ll see Grade 3B and paintings they created with Faces Of the World founder & travelling portrait painter Stephen Bennett. Parents, please come to our first Parent Meeting of the year (Thursday, January 23rd) with our Principal, Head of School and General Manager at the Mepantigan at 8:30am.
In this issue:
Green School News
- Parent Information and Events Calendar
- Please Help to Share a Smile
- Enrollment Commitment for Next School Term
- New Eco-Friendly Cups Donated
Upcoming Events.
Ongoing Events
- Weekly Sports Update
- mei Kids Club starts at Green School!
- Battery Recycling at the Front Desk
- Living Food Lab’s Morning Smoothie Boost and Snack Wheel
Media & Links.
Also in the Green School Community
- Green School Family Snapshot
- Indonesian Children’s Literacy Project supported by Green School
- Local Farm offers Veggie Baskets
- Photography Workshops for Kids and Adults
- Submitting Newsletter Items
Green School News
Parent Information and Events Calendar
January
Jan 18 :Sacred Tours Bali – GS Family Day
Jan 23 : Parent Meeting with Principal, Head of School & General Manager, 8:30 am at the Mepantigan
Jan 24 : High School Evening of the Arts 5:00 pm in the Mepantigan
Jan 31 : No School, Chinese New Year
February
Feb 3 : No School, Professional Development Day
Feb 7-9 : Green School Educator Course: Click here for more details.
Feb 21,22, 24 : No School, PD Days
Parent Reminders:
Lunch Program: Please contact Ibu Nia (nia@greenschool.org) in the finance department to register for lunch prepayment. Price is Rp. 1.900.000 each child for 2nd semester.
Enrollment Commitment: We are still waiting for your response to secure positions for next year. Deadline for response is January 31st, 2014. (click here for detailed info)
Make sure to check our Lost and Found for missing hats, water bottles, etc..
Here’s an important link to our school calendars: http://www.greenschool.org/calendar/
Please Help to Share a Smile
Grade 1 will be collecting used unwanted items for donation to the Smile Shop in Ubud. The Smile Shop is a second hand shop (think “thrift store”) located in Ubud that sells used clothes, books, toys, household goods (including plates, towels, lamps-almost anything) in order to help pay for operations for people born with cleft palate, cleft lip, or any other craniofacial disabilities. This non- profit shop has helped 1,792 people to have these life changing operations. They have always been very appreciative of the generous support from Green School over the years and are always so happy to receive our “previously loved” goods. Please drop any donations off at the grade 1 classroom on or before Friday, the 24th of January. Cash donations are always welcome as well and be sure to stop by the Smile Shop to find some great treasures. There were some great books for sale for just a few thousand rupiah just a few weeks ago. Please see below for more information and directions. http://www.senyumbali.org/
This collection drive will be one of our school’s projects as a part of Roots and Shoots, a program about making positive change happen in our world. This program is a part of the Jane Goodall Institute’s work across the globe. Some of you may remember Dr. Alicia Kennedy, from the Jane Goodall Institute, visiting Green School last year. She helped both Green School and Dyatmika to become Bali’s first members, as well as in spreading the news about Dr. Ating and the Tarsiers! We are very honored to be working on the same “team” as Doctor Jane! For more information about Roots and Shoots, and an explanation of the name, see below. Also, be sure to watch Dr. Jane Goodall speaking on some of the various videos available on Youtube. She is a true inspiration. Thanks very much.
What is Roots & Shoots?
Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world. – Dr. Jane
The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen for our people, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in more than 120 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action. Through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference across the globe.
http://rootsandshoots.org/
http://www.janegoodall.org/
Enrolment Commitment for Next School Term
Dear Parents,
While August 2014 may still seem like a long way off, in Admissions we are seeing a steady stream of inquiries and applications for the upcoming school year. Given several of our classes are either at or reaching capacity, we will need to secure your commitment to return for the 2014-2015 academic year.
In order to indicate your commitment for next year, please complete this short and simple online form: http://goo.gl/EC4kz
We would encourage you to respond as soon as possible to secure positions for next year, but the deadline for a response is January 31st, 2014. By committing to enrol your child(ren) for the 2014-2015 school year, your existing US$1,000 deposit (per student) will be held as security for that enrolment period. This deposit will be kept by Green School if you decide not to enrol your child after having made the commitment to do so for the 2014-2015 school year. If we have not received your commitment by January 31st, we will open enrolment to new students currently inquiring, applying or on waiting lists.
Please come and speak to us in Admissions should you require any clarification.
We hope to see you all back, learning and growing with us at Green School next August!
Green School Admissions.
New Eco-Friendly Cups Donated
EcoSouLife is an Australian brand that designs and manufactures products which are made from sustainable materials and renewable resources. Recently, EcoSouLife proudly supported Green School by generously donating over 350 biodegradable and eco-friendly cups in a variety of colours to be used by teachers and students. These cups are made from mainly bamboo, are dishwasher safe and completely re-usable. These products can be disposed of with minimal environmental impact – they naturally biodegrade once buried in the soil within a 2 to 3 year period.
Ecosoulife’s cups will be used not only to replace plastic cups within the school but also to help educate our students on the alternatives to everyday plastic and melamine products that will eventually harm our environments.
Did you know, globally people consume more than 260 million tonnes of plastic per year? In the 1950’s this was 5 million tonnes per year! Sustainable everyday products should be used as an alternative to plastic and melamine made products. By using EcoSouLife products we are all helping to reduce landfill and save our planet for future generations.
To find out more information on their products please visit their website www.ecosoulife.com
Coming soon: you will be able to purchase Ecosoulife products at the ‘Down to Earth’ outlet in Seminyak, Bali.
Upcoming Events
High School Evening of the Arts!
We are finishing up our third module of the year and we want to share our creative work with you. You are invited to join us on January 24th for our second “Evening of the Arts”.
Johnny’s High School music classes will be playing music from 5:00-6:00pm and Ibu Kadek will be selling dinner at this time. Then, Suki’s photography students will share a slide-show presentation of their work and Sarita and Joel’s Drama students will present 5 short one-act plays. There will also be an opening in the Bamboo Gallery.
We hope you can join us for this free, casual evening event. Please note, the High School one act plays include some mature subject matter. They should be fine for young students with open-minded parents. If you are concerned, please write sarita@greenschool.org for more specific details.
Ongoing Events
Weekly Sports Update
BSSA Basketball:
BSSA Basketball practices have begun!
Here is the practice schedule after school 3.15-4.30pm:
Mondays : 9/10 mixed teams
Tuesdays : 11/12 and 13/14 boys
Wednesdays : 15+ girls
Thursdays : 11/12 and 13/14 girls
Fridays : 15+ boys
*Wednesday matches start 12 February and the Senior Tournament is Thursday 20 March.
Soccer Clinic with Pak Eduardo:
Practices continue on Mondays and Thursdays after school, 3.30pm start.
Please contact petta@agenciatie.com.br for details…
Ultimate Frisbee:
Tuesdays 3.30-4.30 pm on the field
mei Kids Club starts at Green School!
mei (multispecies education international) is an Indonesian based yayasan dedicated to supporting communities to live with biodiversity using an eco-health model. Eco-health recognises that the health of the environment, and the health and welfare of people and animals is all interconnected.
mei Kids Club is an holistic education program aimed at primary aged students. The program covers 12 topics relating to sustainability – environmental health (waste, water, air, plant biodiversity, energy & food), human health/welfare and multicultural education (language, culture, health & well-being), animal health/welfare and multispecies education (animal biodiversity, animal health, and living with animals).
Students will be encouraged and supported to complete three action projects related to each of the 12 topics. Action projects can be led by an adult and completed during club meetings, or independently designed and completed by students. Three completed action projects earns a student a topic sticker for their Record Book, a sticker for their poster and a cloth patch for their T-shirt.
mei Kids Club membership is free to Indonesian students living within the Banjar immediately surrounding Green School. Green School students are asked to make a contribution of Rp.150.000 (US$15) for the year. This helps the mei yayasan to cover the costs of delivering the program.
Each mei Kids Club member will receive a membership pack which includes a free T-shirt with the mei slogan of ‘Learning to care for and share the Earth’ printed on the back; a Record Booklet; a poster and all the stickers and cloth patches they can earn during 2014!
The club will meet twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at the front entrance to Green School, close by to the mei Eco-Market and Community Education Center. Look out for the mei Kids Club sign!
Battery Recycling at the Front Desk
Batteries can now be dropped off in a box at Ibu Yani’s Welcome desk.
The terminals need to be taped off and you must pay a fee of Rp. 1,000 per battery.
Living Food Lab’s Morning Smoothie Boost and Snack Wheel
Living Food Lab offers two ways to ensure optimal nutrition in your child’s school day.
Our Morning Smoothie Boost, sometimes referred to by the kids as the Smoothie Club, is a mini-mug of goodness waiting for your child each morning as they enter the school grounds, a different rainbow color each day of the week. Our Snack Wheels, with nutritious, child-friendly fruits, vegetables, dips, dehydrated items and raw chocolates are ready and waiting for your child at snack time. Easy sign up at the Living Food Lab in advance ensures your child is getting quality fuel!
Media and Links
Green School Covered in Volkskrant Magazine
Dutch-speaking parents, check out an alluring story about Green School featured by Volkskrant, a national Dutch newspaper here.
Also in Green School Community
Green School Family Snapshot
After a year of travelling through Africa and Australia with our beloved Landrover Defender, things were never the same for our family. Returning to our home country of the Netherlands, our children Meike and Maren (Grades 8 and 5) had a taste of a different life and a much bigger world. . . and were able to speak some English too. We (Martijn & Michaela) started our own businesses & resolved never to work for others again.
When the opportunity arose to work in Asia as a partner in an established travel agency, Martijn took his chance. At first Martijn travelled from the Netherlands to Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia to do his work but, after almost a year the family decided to take the big leap and moved to Bali to be together and share another adventure. Michaela was never cut out for the expat wife’s life and was very happy she could keep her business going from Bali through the internet and a little help from her Dutch friends. Michaela has a travel agency that specializes in adventurous and sustainable travel for families, with a focus on Africa and Asia.
Our girls are now in their second year of Green School. Meike decided after 6 months that she was not going to move back to the Netherlands as she was set on finishing High School at Green School. That remains to be seen, but if the Gods are favorable our family will definitely stay here for a few more years.
Indonesian Children’s Literacy Project supported by Green School
Indonesian teachers at Green School have begun using Indonesian reading books in their classes to deepen their students’ understanding of Indonesia and the Indonesian language. This has been the result of an innovative project to provide rich reading resources that engage young students in the learning process of listening, speaking, reading and writing in the Indonesian language.
The Indonesian Children’s Literacy Project provides a model for teaching literacy to inspire a love of books and reading in young children. The project aims to be a catalyst for change within the Indonesian education system, by introducing attractive, high interest reading books, as well as internationally recognized pedagogy on best teaching practices in literacy. The reading books, based on realistic fiction, and written in the Indonesian language are intended to promote literacy development in national kindergarten and primary schools, and enrich existing literacy practices.
Green School, Bali has already begun using The Children’s Literacy Project program in the teaching of Indonesian language. The Green School Indonesian teachers value it as a rich reading resource to help both the international and national students develop an appreciation of the culture and language in which they are living and communicating.
Currently the project is seeking further funding. It is totally reliant on outside funds from organizations or individuals who are interested to see this project move forward and reach more widely into the Indonesian school system. The project is developing successfully now in local pilot schools, and the aim is to see it grow school by school, and district by district through training. This is a wonderful opportunity to be involved in a grassroots, sustainable project that is having an immediate impact on Indonesian children’s lives. The project team is happy to share the results and progress to date with any members of the Green School community or those interested to be involved. We believe this project has enormous potential for the development of early literacy and the growth of a love of reading and writing in kindergarten and primary schools in Indonesia.
To find out more about Literacy Project, please go to www.literasi.org or contact info@literasi.org.
Terima kasih,
Aprile Denise & Ayu Sugati
Local Farm offers Veggie Baskets
This is a partnership where local farmers provide consumers with a weekly basket, comprising mainly of vegetables, and consumers pay in advance.
The cost will start at Rp. 200,000 per basket and can contain up to 5 kg of fresh vegetables, which should fulfill the need of a family of 4 for the week. We are selling vegetable baskets to families around Ubud area, with the possibility of expanding to Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and other areas. Pick-up points will be created where families will come and collect their basket each week.
More than 7 different types of tomatoes, 8 types of chilies, 8 types of salad, and rainbow corn are available, just to name a few. Each week, the basket will be different than the previous week. We grow our vegetables from organic seeds and do our best to avoid the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. We also guarantee that all produce in the basket will exclusively be from their farms.
In addition to the vegetable we will slowly add fresh herbs, soap nuts, jams, honey and fruits. We also work with a free range and antibiotic free chicken and duck farmer.
To start the delivery service we will need to have at least 15 families. For more info, please contact Matt at malerba.matt@gmail.com or +62 8123 8502 257
Thank you for helping us build a more sustainable future!
Photography Workshops for Kids and Adults
Do not miss the opportunity to learn Photography from the hand of an experienced National Geographic photographer who is offering a Photography workshop for kids, and one for adults. No experience required!
Submitting Newsletter Items
We welcome you to submit your own news updates for our weekly newsletter. To submit, send your news update to communications@greenschool.org by 12 noon each Wednesday. Please follow the instructions below to make it easier for us to publish your news:
1. Please add “NEWSLETTER” in the title of your email.
2. Please write a concise (2 to 6 paragraphs, more or less) blurb describing your news.
3. Please attach a photo that illustrates or accompanies your news.
* We are open to publishing projects connected with Green School, however please be sure to include “Green School” in your title and or the paragraphs below.
** We cannot always guarantee that we will publish your submission and when we do, we may need to edit it a bit before publishing & sometime may need a week or two before we include your article.
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